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Sleepy Eye local Renee Wendinger’s published book, Extra! Extra! The Orphan Trains and Newsboys of New York, received mention in the Jan. 25 edition of USA Today.
The story in USA Today is about those who are searching for family history from relatives who rode the Orphan Trains.
Renee’s mother, Sophia Hillesheim-Kral, 96, of Sleepy Eye, was one of those youngsters.
Growing up, Renee attended Orphan Train reunions with her mother and became inspired.
Initially she began organizing reunions and speaking publicly about the Orphan Train, until 2010, when she published a book about it.
“That book was a labor of love,” she said. “It is very close and very near and dear to my heart.”
Orphaned or abandoned children from New York City and other East Coast cities, who had been in the care of the Children’s Aid Society or the New York Foundling Hospital, were put on trains headed west.
Renee’s mother, Sophia, came to Minnesota aboard one such train when she was two.
As Renee continued to attend reunions with her mother, she became fascinated by the stories. She realized this was a part of history. Albeit not a triumphant part of history, but a part of history even so. She began to realize the story needed to be written down.
As she spoke at different events about the Orphan Trains, more and more people began to tell Renee she needed to write a book.
“I was constantly being pushed toward that,” she said.
In 2010, that became a reality when John Grahm Tucker, a publisher at Norfleet Press, took Renee under his wing and guided her through the publishing process.
The book is sold at Randy’s Family Drug and Gift in Sleepy Eye and at Country Loft and the Brown County Historical Society in New Ulm. It is also available for checkout through the Traverse De Sioux Library System.
Even more extraordinary, is the fact that the book is being used in colleges and high schools as a reference book to history.
The book has also made it into the hands of some fairly famous people. Martin Scorsese, a screenwriter and actor, has a copy of the book. Patricia Birch, choreographer of the New York Institute developed a play called the “Orphan Train,” while utilizing the book as a reference. Ken Burns, a PBS historical film director, dropped Renee a note to let her know he thought the book was excellent.
Sleepy Eye local Renee Wendinger’s published book, Extra! Extra! The Orphan Trains and Newsboys of New York, received mention in the Jan. 25 edition of USA Today.
The story in USA Today is about those who are searching for family history from relatives who rode the Orphan Trains.
Renee’s mother, Sophia Hillesheim-Kral, 96, of Sleepy Eye, was one of those youngsters.
Growing up, Renee attended Orphan Train reunions with her mother and became inspired.
Initially she began organizing reunions and speaking publicly about the Orphan Train, until 2010, when she published a book about it.
“That book was a labor of love,” she said. “It is very close and very near and dear to my heart.”
Orphaned or abandoned children from New York City and other East Coast cities, who had been in the care of the Children’s Aid Society or the New York Foundling Hospital, were put on trains headed west.
Renee’s mother, Sophia, came to Minnesota aboard one such train when she was two.
As Renee continued to attend reunions with her mother, she became fascinated by the stories. She realized this was a part of history. Albeit not a triumphant part of history, but a part of history even so. She began to realize the story needed to be written down.
As she spoke at different events about the Orphan Trains, more and more people began to tell Renee she needed to write a book.
“I was constantly being pushed toward that,” she said.
In 2010, that became a reality when John Grahm Tucker, a publisher at Norfleet Press, took Renee under his wing and guided her through the publishing process.
The book is sold at Randy’s Family Drug and Gift in Sleepy Eye and at Country Loft and the Brown County Historical Society in New Ulm. It is also available for checkout through the Traverse De Sioux Library System.
Even more extraordinary, is the fact that the book is being used in colleges and high schools as a reference book to history.
The book has also made it into the hands of some fairly famous people. Martin Scorsese, a screenwriter and actor, has a copy of the book. Patricia Birch, choreographer of the New York Institute developed a play called the “Orphan Train,” while utilizing the book as a reference. Ken Burns, a PBS historical film director, dropped Renee a note to let her know he thought the book was excellent.
“It’s gone far,” Renee said.
Not only does the book have far-reaching effects, Renee has also done interviews for the book for O Magazine and People Magazine, as well as on camera for the OWN Network and the TV show Balancing Act on Lifetime Movie Network.
Due to the tireless research Renee has done for the book, she has received many accolades including the New York Foundling award acknowledged by the Orphan Train Heritage Society of America for history preservation; Recipient of The Founders Award presented by the National Orphan Train Complex; Minnesota Historical Society winning essayist awards; and 2010 and 2011 Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award in History for winning book award of excellence.
The National Indie Excellence Awards is a leading book competition for small presses and independent publishers shining a spotlight on books that demonstrate excellence. Book award winners and finalists are based on overall excellence of presentation. The NIEA emblem on the cover lets people know Extra! Extra! The Orphan Trains and Newsboys of New York, is a book that meets the highest standards of independent publishing.
To read more about Renee or her book, visit her website at www.theorphantrain.com.
